TriMet News

Fact check: Valderrama arrest following March 13 fare evasion

In an effort to provide a full and transparent account of the event involving TriMet and the arrest of Ms. Valderrama, TriMet is releasing a timeline of events.

Rosa Valderrama, who also goes by the name Ana del Rocío, was arrested by Transit Police on March 13 for providing false information to law enforcement. The timeline below recounts the events leading up to the arrest and why Ms. Valderrama’s fare evasion incident March 13 went so differently than her fare evasion incident 12 days before on March 1.

March 1, at 5:03 p.m.: Ms. Valderrama was cited for no proof of fare at the Skidmore Fountain MAX Station.

TriMet supervisors were riding trains in the area, inspecting fares, and encountered Valderrama, who did not have proof of fare.

Valderrama told the supervisor that she had an annual pass but had forgotten it, however, it was later discovered that she did not have an annual pass at that time.

Valderrama provided her Oregon driver license to the supervisor and a citation was written to the name on the drivers license: Rosa Valderrama.

March 13: Ms. Valderrama was arrested after refusing to provide identification during a fare inspection.

12:47 p.m.: Valderrama stepped off a train at the Old Town/Chinatown MAX station where TriMet supervisors and Transit Police were conducting a fare inspection mission.

When a TriMet supervisor asked Ms. Valderrama for her proof of fare, she claimed that she did not realize she needed to activate the mobile ticket that she had purchased on February 19.

TriMet records indicate that Ms. Valderrama has activated mobile tickets in the past – five times in February 2018 alone.

When the TriMet supervisor, a fluent Spanish speaker who has extensive knowledge of Latino customs and social norms, asked Ms. Valderrama for identification in order to write her a citation, Ms. Valderrama refused to produce one.

Since Ms. Valderrama would not produce identification, the supervisor asked a Transit Police officer for help and when he asked her if she had Oregon identification, Ms. Valderrama said no. The officer asked her if she had a valid identification from any other state. At no time was Ms. Valderrama asked for immigration or citizenship status or to produce proof of immigration or citizenship status.

The officer twice checked the information Ms. Valderrama provided verbally, but there was no record under the name she provided.

Valderrama refused to provide identification with repeated pleas, even though she was told she would be arrested if she would not provide them with her identity.

Nearly 20 minutes after the interaction began the police officer handcuffed Ms. Valderrama.

All MAX platforms have cameras and the incident was captured by a camera. The footage indicates that at no time was Ms. Valderrama surrounded by police or TriMet personnel. The video also indicates that there was no violent or coercive physical contact between Ms. Valderrama and the police officer.

After arresting Ms. Valderrama, the police officer located Ms. Valderrama’s Oregon driver license in her purse and provided it to the supervisor so the supervisor could issue a standard fare evasion citation.

At no time was Ms. Valderrama asked her immigration status.

TriMet regrets that Ms. Valderrama elected to take actions that resulted in her arrest. However, she had it in her power to avoid this outcome by simply producing the valid identification that was in her purse, the same identification she had provided to TriMet without incident 12 days earlier.

March 22: One of Ms. Valderrama employers contacted TriMet to obtain an annual pass in her name, while she is now an annual pass holder she was not on March 1 as she has stated.

Fare enforcement process

TriMet does not arrest people for failing to have a valid fare. Individuals who are found evading fare face a citation or possibly an exclusion.

Fare evasion has a direct negative impact of the level of service we can provide. Fares make up almost a quarter of TriMet’s operating revenue and are critical to our ability to provide the level of service that the community demands. Fares allow us to continuously work to improve the quality of the ride, expand service, strengthen safety and security and maintain reduced fares for youth, honored citizens and those with disabilities. It’s important that riders who regularly pay their fare have confidence that others are also paying their fair share.

Valid fares are required on all buses, light rail and streetcar and, where marked, on rail platforms. To ensure fairness, TriMet staff conduct fare evasion missions to check fares. TriMet works with our transit police partners to assist in carrying out these fare missions.

TriMet does not work with Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE)

We are concerned that individuals continue to spread rumors that TriMet works with or cooperates with Immigration Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE. Let us be clear, TriMet does not work with ICE and cannot under Oregon Law. TriMet supervisors conducting fare inspection and other code enforcement activities do not ask about a person’s immigration status.

The false rumors regarding TriMet missions with ICE are damaging. They create fear in the community and prevent people, many of them low income and transit dependent, from using transit. TriMet does not and will not work with ICE. Our transit system belongs to all of us and all are welcome.

We appreciate you taking the time to review the timeline of events and background. We have a dedicated team of operators, supervisors and transit partners who work hard to provide the vital transit service our community deserves.